A doorknob or door handle tends to collect all sorts of germs, which may be transmitted to persons who subsequently open the door. This problem is particularly acute in connection with knobs and handles employed by doors in public restrooms and other facilities used by the public. Once the knob or handle is contaminated, each person thereafter opening or closing the door encounters the risk of being infected and contracting a cold, flu or other disease. Contamination is best avoided by careful hand washing; however, many people using public facilities exhibit less than exemplary hygiene and either inadequately wash their hands or fail to wash them altogether. As a result, unsanitary and contaminated door handles and doorknobs remain an ongoing and serious health concern.